How can you learn to pray?

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While the process of learning to pray varies across different belief systems, an essential element is to honestly express your faith. This expression may occur through an internal dialog with a deity or through the repetition of accepted verses that form a core part of a belief system.

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Some forms of faith combine rituals with prayers that take time to learn. For example, the five daily prayers in Islam combine the recitation of Koran verses with kneeling and bowing at specific times. Additionally, part of learning these prayers is gaining the knowledge of what time of day to pray and what purification preparations to make before prayer.

Similarly, many versions of the Christian faith prescribe prayers to be said at certain times or on certain occasions. The Catholic Ave Maria, or Hail Mary, is an example of this type of prayer; it generally combines recitation of the prayer with a ritual crossing. Other Christian faiths place an emphasis on each person finding a form of prayer that offers the greatest connection to God. Some faiths combine this personal prayer with acts of subordination to God, such as kneeling or the bowing of one's head.

Prayer in many forms of Buddhism requires the recitation of mantras, either from memory or by reading. A key step in learning this type of prayer is memorizing the mantras, and finding the correct rhythmic recitation is often as important as the words.